Approach to feline lower urinary tract disease

Abstract

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is an umbrella term used to describe the spectrum of disorders affecting the urinary bladder or urethra of the cat, including feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), urethral obstruction, bacterial cystitis, neoplasia and anatomical defects. Indoor, overweight, neutered, middle-aged cats on an exclusively dry diet with a stressful environment including a multi-cat household would be at particularly increased risk of developing FLUTD, in particular FIC and urethral obstruction. This article discusses the aetiology of and approaches to FLUTD with an emphasis on evidence-based medicine.